Reed sander



can s, 194& J. EQRAY 2,408,953

. REED Filed Ma 18, 1945 I Joseph 5. Ray

By "5%Q/JM raw-ragga) Patented Oct. 8, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a reed sander and it is one object to provide a device by use of which reeds of musical instruments may be sanded to smooth them and reduce them to the correct thickness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sander which may be readily held in a person's hand between the thumb and first finger and pressure applied to cause sanding of a reed engaged between rollers at ends of resilient arms of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sander wherein one arm thereof carries a pressure roller and the other a sanding roller which is formed of elastic material and mounted about a bolt or pin carrying a thumb but which, when tightened, causes the elastic roller to be expanded to frictional gripping contact with a sleeve of sand paper about it to prevent rotation of the sleeve about the roller, tightening of the nut also serving to prevent free rotation of the roller about the bolt during use of the sander.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sander which is quite small and may be carried in a pocket when not in use.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sander.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the sander.

Fig. 4 is a view looking down upon the sander.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the sanding roller.

This sander is particularly adapted for sanding reeds of musical instruments but it is to be understood that it may be put to other uses. The body I of the sander is formed from a strip of resilient sheet material which may be sheet metal, plastic, or other suitable material. The strip of resilient sheet material is folded midway its length to form arms having their rear ends connected by a curved bridge portion 3 serving as a spring connecting the arms and cut to provide an opening 4 for imparting added flexibility to the bridge and permitting the arms 2 to be readily moved towards each other when pressure is applied by a thumb and forefinger between which they are grasped during use of the sander. Depressions 5 are formed near front ends of the arms to receive the thumb and the finger and prevent the device from slipping out of place between the thumb and the finger between which it is held.

Forward end portions of the arms are formed with ears or tongues 6 between which rollers 1 improved 2 and 8 are mounted, the lower roller 8 being formed of metal, or other suitable material, and constituting a pressure roller carried by a pin or axle 9 and the upper roller being a sanding roller and carried by a bolt or axle ID. The upper roller is formed as shown in Figure 5, and referring to this figure it will be seen that it has an elastic body or roller proper ll formed with a bore snugly receiving the bolt Ill but loose enough to permit the roller to be turned about the bolt or axle when necessary. A sleeve l2 formed of sand paper fits snugly about the elastic roller l0 and when the nut I3 is tightened and the ears 6 of the upper arm 2 are forced towards each other into pressing engagement with ends of the roller, the roller will be expanded diametrically as well as compressed longitudinally and caused to have tight binding fit within the sand paper sleeve l2. Therefore the sleeve will be prevented from turning about the elastic roller and the roller itself will be prevented from turning about the bolt by frictional binding action. Near its head M the bolt in is formed with a squared portion [5 fitting within a squared opening [6 formed in the ear through which it passes and this squared portion prevents the bolt from turning during use of the sander as well as allowing the nut to be tightened or loosened easily without the bolt turning with the nut.

During use of the sander it is held between the thumb and first finger of a hand and the portion of the reed I! to be sanded engaged between the rollers. Reciprocating movement is imparted to the sander and as it is moved longitudinally of the reed the roller 8 will force the reed against roller 1 but will turn so that this roller will move easily along the reed. The fact that the roller 1 is prevented from turning about the bolt It causes the sand paper sleeve to have rubbing contact with the reed. When a portion of the sand paper sleeve in use becomes worn the nut I3 is loosened, the rubber sleeve I I turned a partial rotation about the bolt to bring another portion of the sand paper into position opposite roller 8 and the nut again tightened to secure roller ll against turning movement. After the sand paper sleeve [2 has been entirely worn beyond further use the bolt is removed, the rubber roller removed from between ears of the upper arm, the worn out sleeve l2 removed and a new one slipped into place, and the roller l I then replaced between the ears and the bolt thrust into place and its nut applied and tightened.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A sander, comprising a body formed from a strip of resilient; sheet material folded midway its length to form arms connected at their rear ends by a spring-forming bridge, front ends of the arms being formed with ears at opposite sides thereof, a pressure roller rotatably mounted between the ears of one arm, an elastic roller between the ears of the other arm, an abrading sleeve fitting snugly about said elastic roller, a bolt passing through the elastic roller and the ears between which it is located and having a non-circular portion engaged through a similarly shaped opening in one ear to prevent rotation of the bolt, and a nut carried by said bolt and tightened to draw the ears between which the elastic roller is located towards each other and apply pressure to opposite ends of the elastic 20 gagement with the bolt and the sleeve to prevent turning of the elastic roller and the sleeve.

2. A sander comprising a body having arms shiftable towards and away from each other and having bearings at their front ends, a pressure roller rotatably mounted between the bearings of one arm, and a sanding roller between bearings of the other arm including a roller formed of elastic material and having a longitudinally extending bore, an abrasive sleeve fitting snugly about said elastic roller, a bolt passing through the bore of said elastic roller and through the bearings between which it is located and held against rotary movement, and a nut screwed upon said bolt and tightened to force the bearings through which the bolt passes into contact with ends or the elastic roller to compress the roller longitudinally and expand it diametrically into binding engagement with the bolt and the sleeve and prevent turning of the elastic roller and the sleeve about the bolt.

JOSEPH E. RAY. 

